crochet

Article by Elizabeth Barclay

Crocheting today has become somewhat of a revival with more interesting patterns and an array of colours along with new fibres. All of these introductions has contributed to the resurrection of this creative art.

Early History

Crochet in Arabia, South America or China are thought to be the origins of this early craft although little is known there seems to be no decisive evidence of the craft being performed before it was popularised during the 1800′s in Europe.There is a long standing belief that Nun’s used this method along with needlepoint and bobbin lace and it seems likely that the earliest crochet was made using fingers rather than hooks as used today.

Strong support for the origins of crochet introduced to Europe have given reason that the craft had spread from Arabia and then westward to Spain finally following the Arab trade routes to the other Mediterranean countries.China provides an alternative with dolls made of crochet and methods used within their needlecraft had filtered into a form of embroidery known in Turkey and India as tambouring.

However there is no solid evidence as to how old crochet is or where it originated.

Pioneers

Eleanor Riego de la Branchardiere and her ability for needle and bobbin lace designs published numerous patterns for distribution around 1842. She published numerous patterns and it is also claimed to have invented lace-like crochet, which today is better known as Irish Crochet.Eleanor along with Frances Lambert published more instructions and they became more widely available during the early 1800′s.

Changes

When livelihoods had been disrupted by wars and changes in farming along with crop failures in addition to the change in land use around the world women and sometimes children in these communities would stay at home and create blankets and clothes from Crochet and sell their garments and articles to an up and coming middle class.Therefore the patterns in and around this period varied considerably in design and complexity.

The popularity of Crochet increased vastly along with other forms of elaborate needlework. The arrival of mass produced printed material patterns and designs in the nineteenth century led to a more available source for the creation of lavish designs and garments. Prior to this date Crochet was passed to future generations from small crocheted samples.

Crochet Hooks & CareThe choice of crochet hook will depend on the yarn that is to be considered for your design or pattern.The crochet hook’s earliest use appears to have been in the late 1700′s or early 1800′s but crochet hooks have not been around for as long as crochet itself.Hooks can be made of wood, plastic, casein, or metal. They can have decorative handles and maybe shaped to fit the hand for easier use the more modern hooks are made with wooden or plastic handles with the hook made of metal and inserted into the handle.

An alternative form is the Tunisian Crochet hook which is much longer than a regular crochet hook in order to accommodate the multiple loops used in Tunisian crochet. A type of crochet needle with a hook at each end known as a cro-hook is used to make double-sided crochet pieces. As the craft developed more uniformity was required and probably this saw the introduction of more durable wearing material eg. Steel.

Differing size systems

Modern crochet hooks are made to standard sizes and it is important that you determine which crochet hooks are suitable for you and your project. Hooks come in various sizes (measured in millimetres or fractions and inch) according to the thickness of the needle. There are several systems of letters and/or numbers that describe the size of crochet hooks. The size of the hook is usually matched with an appropriate ply or thickness of thread a point to consider here is to ensure that your hand sits comfortably with the material and your chosen hook.

Crochet hook sizes are written differently for the UK and America.The UK English system uses a number whilst the American size will be given a number and a letter to identify the size. The package usually contains the metric size therefore if 2.25mm is indicated then this would translate to B/1 for an American crotchetier and a 13 for a British crotchetier. There is no need to worry as there are ample tables available to translate one type to another. Larger numbers are used for larger hooks.Smaller hooks would be used for finer yarns and crochet threads and by using the same weight of yarn with a different size hook tighter and looser results will occur therefore the hook also affects the gauge.

A simple way is to experiment with the gauge is by changing the hook size and this will determine the finished product.Generally steel hooks would be used to create lace thread designs but this does not mean that you would have to eliminate plastic hooks. There is a wide range of information on selecting which hook is suitable for which thread and most pattern books will guide you so do not worry.It is essential though that you use the right crochet hooks for your projects but if a pattern requires a hook that maybe unfamiliar don’t be afraid to ask someone who is experienced they will be only too willing to help.

Alternatively there are many books available or you can use the Internet and search for your query or problem in relation to Crochet.

crochet